


head in the clouds (but my gravity's centered)

by manbun_zukka



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Bisexual Hakoda (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Coming Out, F/M, Fluff, Gay Bato (Avatar), Gay Zuko (Avatar), Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pansexual Aang (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Sokka (Avatar)-centric, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, a wee bit of, bato is uncle bato in this household, figuring out your sexuality is a STRUGLE, i thought i was bi for two years before i realised that i was a lesbian, it's hard yall, listen yall, okay?, paw patrol rights, sokka is a good friend and an even better boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26961121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manbun_zukka/pseuds/manbun_zukka
Summary: Sokka has always wanted to be seen as a trustworthy person.He wanted his friends and family to go to him when they had a problem that needed solving, or when they had a secret to tell. He wanted teachers to trust him with handing out papers in elementary school, and with taking a worksheet to the office. As he got older, his curiosity blossomed and he started asking questions.The questions, and the trustworthiness, maybe that’s why so many people came out to him.Honestly, he just couldn’t catch a break.---or: five times someone comes out to Sokka, and one time that he comes out to them.
Relationships: Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 459





	head in the clouds (but my gravity's centered)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey yall! this has been floating about in my head for some time now, and I decided that because it's centered around coming out, there wasn't a better day to post it then Coming Out Day! If any of you has come out to someone today, or if you're planning on coming out to someone, then I wish you all the best of luck! A little side note, in case you didn't notice, I used a lyric from "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood, because it's the bi anthem! (did i spell that right? anthum? no, that doesn't sound right either.) I hope you enjoy!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

Sokka has always wanted to be seen as a trustworthy person. 

He wanted his friends and family to go to  _ him  _ when they had a problem that needed solving, or when they had a secret to tell. He wanted teachers to trust him with handing out papers in elementary school, and with taking a worksheet to the office. As he got older, his curiosity blossomed and he started asking questions. 

The questions, and the trustworthiness, maybe that’s why so many people came out to him.

Honestly, he just couldn’t catch a break.

First, there was Bato. Then, Aang, completely by accident, and Suki after him. Next was Hakoda, a real shock, and after him there was Zuko.

And then it was Sokka’s turn.

i.

“Dad?!” 

Hakoda turned towards his son, eyebrows furrowed. “What’s up, Socks?”   
  


Sokka frowned. “I  _ told  _ you not to call me that.”

Hakoda smiled, kneeling down in front of him. They were sitting together in the living room of the Qanik household, with Bato in the kitchen, making lunch, and Kya taking baby Katara out on a walk. Sokka had been watching an episode of Paw Patrol (every four year old’s favorite show), until his attention span ended, and he decided that he would rather interrogate his dad then watch TV.

“Dad, why do you have a wife like Mommy, but Uncle Bato doesn’t have one?” Sokka asked, looking up at his father with big, glassy blue eyes.

Hakoda’s eyes widened, and he looked over his shoulder to where his best friend had ceased his ministrations in the kitchen, and was walking over towards the pair. “Do you want to tell him?” Hakoda asked quietly, one hand on Sokka’s shoulder and one on Bato’s knee.

“Yeah,” Bato smiled. “I’ll do it.”

Sokka frowned at him as Bato came to kneel next to Hakoda, smiling slightly. “Well, I don't have a wife like your dad does, because I don’t  _ want  _ a wife.”

“What!” Sokka exclaimed. “How could you not want a wife? Girls are soooooo pretty!”

Bato chuckled. “That they are. But, if you ask me, boys are very pretty too. So, I don’t want a wife, I want a husband. I just don’t have one yet.”

“Oh,” Sokka breathed. “So you like boys instead of girls?” Bato nodded. “Okay, that makes sense. I guess boys aren’t that bad either. But when are you gonna get married?! I want another uncle who can take me fishing!”   
  
Both Hakoda and Bato erupted into laughter. “Oh, I dunno, Sokka,” Bato sighed. “Maybe soon though. I certainly want to get married. Someday, Sokka, I promise.”

Sokka beamed up at him, before wriggling out from his hold and running back towards the couch, begging for another episode of Paw Patrol to be put on.

ii.

“Ugh, Cole Sprouse is  _ so hot _ .”

Sokka snorted, turning his desk chair around so that he could see where his sister was sprawled across his bed, phone clutched to her chest. 

“Really?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Cole Sprouse is your celebrity crush?”

Katara flipped onto her stomach so that she could glare at her brother, a stony expression on her face. “Don’t you  _ dare  _ dis Cole Sprouse. I won’t hear a word against him.”

“Who’s Cole Sprouse?” Aang asked from the beanbag in the corner. Katara shot up, immediately speeding across the room to show him the pictures on her phone. Aang put on a show of ooing and ahing at the right moments, and Sokka rolled his eyes, pulling up a search on his computer.

“Aang, c’mere,” he said once he’d pulled up the right picture, waving his friend over. Aang got up from the beanbag and went to stand beside Sokka’s desk chair. “This is my celebrity celebrity crush, and she’s  _ much  _ better than stupid Cole Sprouse.”

“Who is she?” Aang asked. “I’ve never seen her before.”

“Her name is Hunter Schafer,” Sokka sighed, before proceeding to explain her entire career to poor, unsuspecting Aang. 

“That’s so cool!” Aang exclaimed once Sokka was finished, flopping back onto the bed. 

“What about you, Aang?” Katara asked. “Who’s your celebrity crush?”   
  


“Ooh!” Aang murmured, grabbing his one phone out of his pocket and typing something into the search bar. “Here!” he thrust the phone into Katara’s face. “Their name is Ezra Miller! They’re a nonbinary actor!”

“That’s cool,” Katara murmured, squinting down at the picture. “I didn’t know that you were into nonbinary people.”

“Oh, yeah!” Aang exclaimed. “I love everybody! Boys, girls, neither, everybody. I mean, I have a  _ real  _ crush on a girl right now, like a not-a-celebrity crush, but when I was little and I still lived away from here, I had a crush on my best friend Kuzon. He was really cute!”

“Oh,” Sokka breathed. “So that’s- you’re pan, right?”   
  


The idea that someone who he practically thought of as a little brother was so at home in his sexuality, and Sokka was  _ not _ , was slightly unsettling, to say the least. He’d been questioning his sexuality for as long as he could remember, but it was confusing for him, because, despite the fact that he was fifteen he’d never kissed anyone, let alone dated them, boy or girl.

“Yeah, pansexual is the word that Monk Gyatso used to describe it when I told him,” Aang sighed.

“Okay,” Sokka murmured. “Thanks for telling us.”

iii.

When Sokka was sixteen he finally, finally,  _ finally,  _ got his first kiss. And his first girlfriend.

Suki was everything that he could’ve ever wanted. She was kind, and she was smart, and she was strong and taught him how to fight like a girl in the best way. They were out on a date one night, walking through a park with their hands grasping each other, when Suki said that she had something she wanted to tell him. 

The two of them sat down on a bench, and Suki took both of Sokka’s hands in her’s, a breath spilling from her lungs. 

“Listen, Sokka,” she started. “I really like you. I mean, like, I really, really like you. But I have to have the space to be my own person. And there are parts of me, parts that I can’t let go of, not even for you.”

Sokka’s stomach was churning. “Suki, babe, where is this going?”   
  


“Sokka, I’m bisexual. I like boys and girls,” she breathed. “I don’t know if that’s gonna be a problem for you, but if it is then we’re just not going to work out.”

Sokka shook his head frantically. “No, no, of course that won’t be a problem. I don’t care if you’re straight, or bi, or pan, whatever. As long as you’re not a lesbian, because that would make things really awkward.”

Suki chuckled softly, leaning her forehead against Sokka’s. “Don’t worry, I’m not a lesbian. Because I really,  _ really  _ like you, Sokka. Like, a whole lot.”

“I like you too,” Sokka whispered, his breath ghosting over her lips. Suki closed the distance, and their lips met, Suki’s soft and warm, Sokka’s cold and chapped.

“Thank you for telling me,” he whispered when they parted. “I’m really proud of you. And thank you for trusting me.”

“You’re welcome,” Suki breathed, before kissing him again.

iv.

“Dad?” Katara asked, her brows knit. “Is something wrong?”

Hakoda had called his kids down to the kitchen for their usual Tuesday Dinner With Bato, and when they’d reached the kitchen he had a very serious expression on his face. They sat down in their usual seats, across from their father and Bato, and the silence sat heavy in the room until Katara broke it.

“No,” Hakoda said, “nothing’s wrong. I just have something that I’d like to tell you two.” Katara and Sokka exchanged a look. “You two should know that I love you both so much, and wouldn’t ever do anything to try and hurt you. You’re my whole world, and I don’t ever want to lose the bond that we have.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “That being said, you should also know that I would never do anything without taking your feelings into account. And because of that, I want you both to know that I’ve been seeing someone for a few months now. But I’ll take a break from that for now, if you’re not comfortable with me dating. I totally understand if you aren’t.”

“Oh, Dad, of course we’re okay with you dating!” Katara exclaimed. “Well, I mean, I certainly am, I don’t know about Sokka-”

“I’m cool with it too!” Sokka put in.

“-but I just want you to be happy,” Katara finished, “and if you’re happy in this relationship, then I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah, Dad,” Sokka sighed. “I want you to be as happy as you can be. You’re my dad, and I think that you deserve everything, especially someone that makes you happy.”

“Okay, well,” Hakoda hesitates. “You see the reason that I wanted to tell you this while Bato is here is because- well, uh, it’s Bato. I’m dating Bato.”

Katara’s mouth made the shape of an ‘O’, and Sokka’s stomach dropped down through the floor. His dad was dating Bato. His  _ dad  _ was dating _ Bato _ , his  _ Uncle Bato _ , the man that he’d seen as a second father ever since his mom died.

His dad was dating a  _ man.  _

“That’s really great, Dad,” he heard himself say, distantly. Very distantly. 

His  _ dad  _ was  _ into guys _ .

Did that mean that he wouldn’t care if Sokka, maybe, was into guys? 

v.

  
Sokka was never one to ignore people who were hurting. He hated that. 

And, because of this quality, when he saw a boy who had to be around his age, with his knees pulled up to his chest, sitting in a courtyard behind the math wing of Ba Sing Se High School, he couldn’t help but want to make this kid feel better. So, he pushed open the door, walked across the empty courtyard, and sat down next to the boy, saying nothing for a moment.

“Are you alright?” he asked, finally. He tried his hardest to keep his voice quiet, and gentle, because this guy looked so hurt, so  _ broken,  _ that Sokka could only assume that something bad had happened to him.

“I think I’m gay,” the kid whispered, and something in Sokka’s heart cracked. “And I think my father will kill me for it.”

“Oh, buddy,” Sokka murmured, his arms moving of their own accord and pulling him into a hug. The kid stiffened for a moment, before melting into the embrace and letting his tears soak into Sokka’s shoulder, leaving a wet patch on his shirt. “I’m Sokka, and I don’t give a damn if you’re gay. I think that’s great. And if your father doesn’t, then that’s his fucking problem.”

The boy chuckled wetly into his shoulder. “I’m Zuko,” he sniffed. “Thank you.”

Sokka nodded into his head. “I’m so, so sorry that you feel like you have to be afraid. You  _ don’t _ , I promise. It might be scary now, and the idea of being gay might be horrifying, but it won’t be like that forever, okay? They’re not lying when they say that it gets better.”

Zuko nodded, and sniffed again. They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped up in each other, before Zuko pulled back, letting Sokka keep his arms around his shoulders. “Why did you stop?” he whispered. “There are so many people that walked through that hallway before you. I’ve been out here for an hour. I think I missed math. And no one else stopped to see if I was okay. But you did. Why?”   
  


Sokka sucked in a breath. “I hate seeing people in pain. I hate that nobody stopped before me. Because, I’ve been where you are before, and I hid it, and no one ever stopped to make sure I was okay, because I didn’t want them to know that I wasn’t. I’m still not. And I hate that feeling, and I hate that others have to feel that feeling, so I always want to help get rid of it, whenever I can. No one deserves to feel like you are now.”

Zuko choked out a heavy breath. “Thank you,” he whispered again.

“Any time,” Sokka whispered back. “Now, my friends and I usually have lunch at this ramen place on friday’s, it’s like two or so blocks from school. Do you maybe want to come with us? I think you’d really like them.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. “I- uh, yeah. Thanks.”

Sokka chuckled, standing up and reaching for one of Zuko’s hands. He pulled the other boy upright as well, and they started walking back across the courtyard, towards the busy hallway. “C’mon,” Sokka said when Zuko hesitated at the door. “Aang likes to get the fire noodles, and they always take a long-ass time to cook, so we can’t waste any time!”

Zuko looked at him, just  _ looked at him _ for a moment, before sighing and following Sokka down the hallway.

+i.

Sokka’s hands shook as he unlocked the door, pushing it open before tossing the keys into the dish on the table. He glanced quietly at the calendar once again, and the date glared back at him, in bold, red ink.

October 11. 

National Coming Out Day.

If there was any time that was good for him to come out, any day that was marked with the right symbolism and emotion, it was today. But still, his hands shook, and his stomach churned, and his palms were sweaty. 

Carefully, shakily, Sokka tossed his backpack down onto the couch, and went into the kitchen to get himself a snack. He grabbed a granola bar out of the cabinet, and then went to sit in the living room, pulling out his phone. He opened up Zuko’s contact.

**💕💕Zuko💖😘**

_ im really scared _

_ is it bad that im so scared? _

_ i mean its not like they’ll be homophobic about it _

_ but im still really nervous _

**Hey, don’t say that.**

**Your feelings are completely valid.**

**I mean, I was so nervous when I came out to Uncle,**

**even though I knew he would be supportive.**

**Coming out is scary! But I’m here for you, okay? And**

**so is Uncle, and Toph, and Suki, and everyone who you’ve**

**already told. We love you so much, Sokka.**

**I love you, so much.**

_ god zu _

_ i love you too dork _

_ so much _

With his heart slightly less heavy in his chest, Sokka set his phone down and finished his granola bar, before grabbing his backpack off the couch and starting some homework. He kept working for a few hours, until the telltale sounds of the door opening and closing again signaled his dad and Bato arriving home.

Bato had moved in with them a year after he and Hakoda had told them that they were dating, despite the fact that he had spent all his time at their house already. He’d become even more like a second dad to Sokka, and as much as he loved him, Bato was just another person to come out to. 

Another person who could shut him out.

“Sokka?”

Sokka nearly jumped out of his skin, but he turned around to face his dad anyways, plastering a smile to his face. “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, son,” Hakoda murmured. “You good there?”   
  


“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sokka sighed. “You just scared me a bit, that’s all.”

Hakoda nodded, but remained unconvinced. Sokka let out a puff of air as his father turned back towards the kitchen, likely to help Bato with dinner. He still had time.

Later that night, as the family sat down to dinner, Sokka’s stomach started to churn again. It was now or never. The day was almost over.

“Hey, so, uh, I have something that I want to tell you guys.”

Katara looked up at him with knit brows as Bato and Hakoda put their forks down. Sokka nearly shuddered under their undivided attention, but he took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do.

This wasn’t something that he could take back.

“Alright,” Hakoda said. “Go on.”

“Okay, so, uh, I’ve been figuring some stuff out about myself in the past few years, ever since I was consciously thinking about, like, uh, romantic attraction and stuff like that, and I’ve, uh, I’ve figured myself out enough that I want to share that part of me with you guys.” Sokka felt like his stomach was ready to rise out of his throat, but he took a deep breath and prepared to power through, his hands gripping tightly to his thighs. “So, uh, I’m actually not straight. I’m bisexual. And I, uh, I’m telling you this now, because I have a boyfriend. And he’s like, he’s my best friend. And I’ve been seeing him for a while now, uh, almost like a year or so, I guess. And I want you to know about him, because he’s just- he’s everything to me. And I want you to be able to know him too.”

“Oh, Sokka,” Hakoda breathed. “Thank you for telling us. I’m so proud of you, son. I’m so happy that you’ve found someone who makes you as happy as this boy does. You deserve that.”

Sokka sniffed. (When had he started tearing up?) “Thanks, Dad.”

“I love you no matter what, kiddo, you know that,” Bato smiled. “I’m so glad that you’re happy.”

From across the table, Katara beamed at him. “I love you so much, Sokka. Thank you  _ so much  _ for telling us. I wanna hear about your boyfriend! What’s he like?”   
  


Sheepish, Sokka blushed. “Well, uh, you actually already know him, Kat.” He cleared his throat. “It’s, uh, it’s Zuko. Zuko is my boyfriend.”

Katara’s jaw dropped. “ _ ZUKO? _ ” she breathed, no sound coming out with the word. “You- your boyfriend is  _ Zuko _ ? Like, emolord, sparky, Toph’s honorary best friend, sword fighting, tea shop Zuko?”

“Um, yeah,” Sokka sighed, a lovestruck expression taking over his face. “That’s the one.”

“Hold on, I want to hear about this boy,” Hakoda put in. “If Katara knows him, then I want to know  _ about  _ him, at least.”

“Okay, uh,” Sokka hesitated. How was he supposed to describe his wonderful, amazing, loving, beautiful boyfriend with only words. “Well, his name is Zuko. You know that already. I’ve been seeing him since last november. He lives with his uncle in an apartment over their tea shop, he loves English and science, he’s a master with dao swords, and uh. Do you want to know what he looks like?” Hakoda nodded. Something in Sokka’s eyes softened, and they seemed to drift off for a moment, before coming back to the table. “He has really, really long black hair. It’s like, down to the bottom of his shoulder blades. He’s been growing it out since he was thirteen. And uh, he has these like, perfect, honey golden brown eyes, like you can look at them and just get  _ lost,  _ y’know? And he’s got a pretty big scar on the left side of his face, it’s a burn scar that his father gave him, I’ll explain another time, but it goes from the top of his cheek up to his hair. And he’s got really pale skin, and-” Sokka was suddenly interrupted by a chime from his phone. He picked it up, swiping towards the message.

His breath was swept out of his throat.

Zuko had sent him a picture of himself and his cat, Druk, laying on his bed in half-light. There was a lamp that sat on Zuko’s bedside table, and that had to be what was providing them with their light, because one side of Zuko’s face was glowing, while the other was shrouded in darkness. Zuko had a sappy little smile on his face, and Druk looked perfectly content, laying across Zuko’s chest.

“Here,” Sokka said, thrusting the phone towards Hakoda and Bato. “He just sent this to me.”

Hakoda studied the picture for a moment, eyebrows knit, before looking back towards Sokka. “Does he make you happy?” Sokka nodded. “Does he treat you right?” Sokka nodded again. “Then go and be happy, son. It sounds like this boy is nothing but deserving of your love.”

Sokka sniffled again, wiping his nose against his sleeve. "Yeah. He deserves everything."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I you that yall liked this lil thing! at first, it was supposed to be much much shorter, but it kinda spiralled to where it's at now. If you feel so inclined, kudos and comments would make my day.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ


End file.
